Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  October 8, 2012 9:00am-11:00am PDT

9:00 am
is a world historical change taking place in the middle east. we're bystanders. we're well wishers. there isn't much we can do, which is why when romney is asked for specifics on what he would do in egypt or even libya, he says he would work with the government of libya to find the guys that murdered our ambassador. well, obviously that's what the obama administration is doing. >> you have a lot of fodder for your weekend show, so we'll be watching it and also for suzanne malveaux's shows which is up and coming. thank you for taking the time to be on our show today. fareed zakaria, and as i sign off, i do want remind you "newsroom international" starts right now with suzanne malveaux.
9:01 am
>> kuhn dem the president for leading from behind, declaring it is time to change -- criticized the obama administration for not having an overall strategy in this region, and here's how he summed it up. the know the president hopes for a safer, freer, aligned middle east with us. i share this hope, but hope is not a strategy. we can't support our friends and defeat our enemies in the middle east when our words are not backed up by deeds. >> now, wolf, we know he was referring to a lot of the protests around in the region, and even the killing of the u.s. ambassador in benghazi, libya, but when you listen to what he is saying here, how much of it
9:02 am
do you think is about a failed strategy or what is simply out of the white house's controlt this point, what is going on in the middle east? >> well, a lot of it is clearly out of the white house's control what's happening in the middle east. it doesn't make any difference what the strategy would have been. there are internal developments in north africa and in the middle east that are happening right now, and irrespective of what the u.s. and others can do, those developments are going to go forward for good or for bad. >> his articulation for a continued internationalist role for the united states, because including some of the conservative movements, some republicans who want to have more of an isolationist, a retreat, if you will, from an international involvement, go back to the u.s. borders, stay away from so many issues around the world, cut back on u.s. foreign aid, for example. you hear this -- you heard it decisively from ron paul, for
9:03 am
example, when he was running for the republican presidential nomination. you hear it to a certain degree from his son senator ran paul. there are other isolationists in that republican party, but from mitt romney right now, you heard the exact opposite. the united states must take the lead. must stay involved. whether in afghanistan or he complained about the president's abandonment, if you will, of iraq and in the middle east, elsewhere around the world. a very robust international policy -- internationalist policy, and i thought that was a significant statement on his part. >> let's talk a little bit, wolf, about what the voters are looking for, because you have a romney campaign criticizing the obama administration strategy or this doctrine that the obama administration called leading from behind. specifically libya when the white house in a calculated let france and britain take lead in establishing this no-fly zone, and the u.s. played assist. romney is calling that leading from behind as following. very different than what we saw from president bush with his own preemptive first strike doctrine forging the war in iraq and using it as justification for his war on terror.
9:04 am
what do you think american voters are more comfortable with? do you think that it is the bush preemptive approach that resonates with voters, or is it really more about what president obama is trying to do? >> there's clearly no great desire on the part of the american public to get involved in wars. once again, as was the case with iraq, for example. it's completely militarily, even though, as you and i know, the situation in iraq is deteriorating, and romney makes some valid points about the reduction of democracy under the government of prime minister nuri al maliki and its alignment with its neighbor iran. the u.s. public doesn't want to get back involved in any kind of warfare situation, and romney is walking that delicate tight rope. the u.s. will take the leadership but won't get involved militarily. i think fareed makes a valid
9:05 am
point -- fareed zakaria -- when he suggests the whole notion of arming the syrians, finding those syrian moderates, those pro-western rebels fighting bashar al assad, that may be a new strategy on the part of romney as opposed to the obama administration which has been totally reluctant to arm any of the rebels in syria fearing those weapons could wind up in the hands of the so-called terrorist, the bad guys, if you will. that's a clear differentiation, but i think from the american political perspective, there's no great desire to get involved militarily on the ground or in the air for that matter in syria or elsewhere. >> all right. well, thank you very much. appreciate it. of course, we're fwog bring in fareed zakaria to talk about this. fareed in new york. of course, you were watching this as well, and one of the points that you brought up is that these two leaders, these two men really see eye to eye on a lot of foreign policy issues. the only one that we really heard that was different was what you had actually talked about and that was romney's stance on arming the syrian
9:06 am
rebels. how does the united states go about doing that, because we know the obama administration even learning in the "new york times", they're discouraging u.s. allies, arab allies to actually get involved. >> yeah. you know, if you would have lisped that speech, you would assume atmospherically that romney had very strong disagreements with the obama administration, but his problem is that obama has run a foreign policy almost like a moderate republican. it's been internationalist, and not too liberal in temz of the human rights oriented. the syrian issue is the one place romney can find to make a distinction. as you point out, it's a very difficult policy to enact. the syrian insurgency is really an uprising of 100 armed militias all over syria that are not particularly well connected to one another. >> you wouldn't understand the goals of the people you are arming, and there is a danger that some of this would blow
9:07 am
back in just a way in the afghan skas where the people we armed turn into terrorists. >> it sounded me like he is saying we should allow the saudis and the qatarese to provide more assistance. not arm them ourselves. sdhoo romney implied that the administration was being deceptive, trying to convince us that the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi was a random response to the film and insulted the prophet mohammed. let's listen in and evaluate that. >> these attacks were the deliberate work of terrorists who use violence to impose their dark ideology and others, especially on women and girls who are fighting to control much of the middle east today and who
9:08 am
seek to wage perpetual war on the west. >> so, fareed, we know he is talking about the terrorist attack in benghazi, but president bush beforehand and several other administrations, they essentially were containing the extremists, the terrorists, by propping up these dictators, right, in egypt, libya, syria. the list goes on. now you have this dangerous power vacuum in many of these countries. has the administration done enough throughout the region to help them transition from what we saw as these dictators to now democracy? >> well, here you are reaching a very, very interesting problem. you could argue that the administration hasn't done enough, but what you would be arguing then is that the administration, the american administration should provide more assistance to the newly elected democratic governments in, say, egypt and tunisia, which are islamist, which were these elections were won by people who think of themselves as kind of followers of a kind of political islam.
9:09 am
now, many people in the conservative movement despise these people and regard them as forces that we should be battling, so romney has a very difficult agenda there. he wants to criticize obama, but does he really mean that we should be supporting these groups that -- many of whom believe many some kind of shaara law and such? should we be supporting these groups more? i doubt that that is a place that conservatives would be comfortable, and romney, as a result, even there is a little bit vague other than saying that obama has done it wrong. he doesn't really tell us specifically what he would do. >> let's talk a little bit about iran. the "new york times" writes recently as august that despite increasingly painful sanctions and covert programs called olympic games that aimed to show the iranian program with cyber attacks, iran has enriched uranium from about one bomb's worth when mr. obama took office
9:10 am
in 2009 to the ekwifl i want of about five bombs worth today. we recently saw the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu draw this red line a few weeks ago. is there any daytime between these two as to how tough they're going to get on iran? >> not really. look, the truth of the matter is it's important to understand that iran has a very extensive civilian nuclear program, and when you talk about one bombs worth or five bombs worth, this is not bombs. this is the amount of uranium they have that could be converted were this to become a military program. i would argue and i think this is generally speaking experts would agree, the obama administration has been very tough on iran. the sakes are global. they are crippling. they're hurting them. the truth is iranians are one of the boors -- they have the money. the nuclear program doesn't cost that much. the only thing you can realistically do beyond this would be to bomb iran.
9:11 am
the issue is not will the sanctions be able to somehow physically stop the iranians from pursuing the nuclear energy program or weapons program, but the question is will it bring them to the negotiating table because they feel the pain is so crippling, because they feel their economy is in a death spiral. that's where the pressure is going to act. the pressure isn't going to be that somebody shot down their ability to make nuclear -- to produce nuclear energy. >> all right. fareed zakaria, thank you very much for your analysis. as always. want to bring in our military expert as well to talk about some of the differences between these two leaders, general spider marks. one of the things we heard is that these are two individuals who believe that mitt romney makes the case that we are more dangerous. that we are not safer off than four years ago. is that consistent? is that right? >> well, there is some evidence that there is -- there are a
9:12 am
number of proobz, obviously, with the case in syria and the enrichment of uranium that we've clearly been able to see in iran, but also look at syria's -- the support that syria is getting from iran through iraq, and i think it's very important that we realize that iraq now has saddled up very closely with iran, at least all indicators are that it is moving in that direction, and iraq essentially has become a line of communications for iranian support to assad's regime and its survival in syria. that can be addressed. so the short answer is yes. it's entirely more complicated and more dangerous. >> is it fair the criticism that romney weighed against the president about iraq? i mean, you could look at this as a failed effort by the bush administration after the iraq war that there is not a more democratic and stable society in that country. that it is not the responsibility of the obama administration. >> well, clearly we left iraq, and i think that was the right
9:13 am
thing to do. however, we also retain the -- we should retain the capability and the flexibility to maintain a very robust relationship with the iraq leadership so that we can reinforce it as necessary, and there are more elements of power beyond military. clearly, you have economic. you have efforts at governance. we still have a very robust american embassy, so they get a sense of what's going on inside the decision makers in iraq, and we also have a military presence in the form of a military assistance group, if you will, so that we can bolster that as necessary, but that now has reached the point where it must be a request from the government of iraq. we can influence the requests and the questions that they ask us, so we should be able to reinforce that relationship as necessary. >> is it realistic, because one of the only differences between these two is on the issue of syria and whether or not those rebels should be armed and providing arms. is that a way of actually ending this civil war, as romney
9:14 am
suggests, as actually arming heavy arms to those rebel that is a lot of people don't even know who they are or whether or not they would get in the hands of terrorists? >> well, that's a single tact that can be taken. it by itself, you know, exclusive of other efforts that should be ongoing right now primarily with russia wra to try to exert influence over russia so that they understand the cost of their medaling and involvement in syria, which clearly they are. the united states can achieve through a coalition and through proxies some advancement of the opposition parties if we can support them with arms and try to coaless external as well as internal parties in syria toward a common goal of eliminating assad. that also has to be worked from the outside in diplomatically and certainly united states is, i must assume, is working on that aggressively. we haven't seen it, though. >> all right. general spider marks, thank you very much. good to see you. we're not done yet with manager's foreign policy speech.
9:15 am
we're going to go to the co-chair of the obama campaign and get her take on the speech, and the growing suspicions surrounding two of china's largest telecom companies operating now in the u.s. some in congress saying they actually pose a national security threat. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day
9:16 am
with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mo worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine
9:17 am
or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. go to cymbalta.com ffor help finding a plan that's right for you, give unitedhealthcare a call today.
9:18 am
both mitt romney and president obama agree that iran must not be allowed to develop noounk weapons. they say they draw a red line at a nuclear iran, but the two men differ on where that line actually is. the president says he will move against iran if it makes direct steps to acquire a nuclear weapon. romney promises to stop iran from ever making a nuclear bomb. >> iran today has never been closer to a nuclear weapons capability. it has never posed a greater danger to our friends, our allies, and us. and had never acted less deterred by america as declared by iranian agents to assassinate our -- >> we're talking about mitt romney's big foreign policy speech. i want to bring in holla to talk about it. one thing is this idea of avoid
9:19 am
aing nuclear iran. from what i can tell and from what a lot of people say, it looks like the sanctions aren't working and it looks like diplomatic efforts aren't working either. how are people respond sng. >> well, it's just really a question of making a difference between what mitt romney is proposing, the approach toward iran versus barack obama, the tightening of sanctions. when you say there hasn't been an impact, perhaps not in terms of the development of nuclear capability or nuclear energy or nuclear products, but you did see that currency crisis over the last few weeks in iran that experts say was a result of that economic squeeze applied on the country because of these sanctions. this is a big problem for the leadership on the executive level in iran, but also as far as the clerical leadership is concerned. they have to address the frustrations of their citizens, who seem to value their currency plummet by 40%, 50% in a matter of weeks. >> tell us about syria. you have an active civil war that's taking place there. these rebels who are looking for more arms, heavier arms, and our
9:20 am
administration, the united states administration, saying, you know what, we're not going to go there because it could end up in the hands of terrorists. how are people responding when they listen to mitt romney and he says, well, yeah, perhaps we do need to arm these folks? >> i think people are going to be reading carefully what mitt romney proposed in the event that he does win in november. what a difference would that make in the u.s.'s approach to the civil war in syria. the white house and the administration has been certainly less open about the idea that arming the rebels at this stage is something that will resolve the situation or help bring the conflict to an end and bring democracy-minded rebels to power. here the rhetoric is a little bit different, but it's not suggesting as far as what i read that the u.s. should directly arm the rebel says, but facilitate the arming of rebels, which by some accounts is already happening. you have cia praishs on the border with turkey vet and identifying rebel groups, and by the account of some reporters that arms coming from some gulf countries are already flowing into syria to help the rebels.
9:21 am
it is very asymmetrical, but it's still helping. >> we're dissecting all of this, and you have been in the region and cover this many, many years. are people on the ground there in the region, are they watch this the way we are, the election, and thinking, okay, somebody different in the white house, and -- somebody else in the white house might make a difference, or maybe not? you know? >> i think the sense is you have barack obama that has a foreign policy that's not entirely dissimilar to the one before him, and any president has a margin of maneuver, a margin of man you're that is very much reduced in terms of foreign policy. you might have some slight differences here and there, but overall the u.s.'s approach to foreign policy won't change dramatically in terms of the palestinian conflict, in terms of iran. really the sanctions approach is the one that's being used. in terms of syria where there's still a lot of hesitation. no, i think that people, a, are not listening to this speech abroad yet. he is still a candidate. if there is a change in leadership, it's very much a
9:22 am
wait and see approach because barack obama's approach to foreign policy in some people's minds has not -- has not made a dramatic -- has not been dramatically different from what was there before. >> all right. thank you. we hope that people will continue to -- will start to pay attention. we're running it down. >> you might see more interest for sure. >> absolutely. >> thank you. we broke down many aspects of what is now being called the romney doctrine at this hour. up next we'll see how the obama team is responding to the speech. [ woman ] it's 32 minutes to go time, and the candidate's speech is in pieces all over the district.
9:23 am
the writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone are working on a joke with local color. the secure cloud just received a revised intro from the strategist's tablet. and while i make my way into the venue, the candidate will be rehearsing off of his phone. [ candidate ] and thanks to every young face i see out there. [ woman ] his phone is one of his biggest supporters. [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center... working together has never worked so well.
9:24 am
9:25 am
the obama campaign not wasting any time responding to mitt romney's foreign policy address in a new television ad. the obama team reminds voters of the tough reviews that romney received the last time he traveled overseas. >> reckless, amateurish. that's what news media and fellow republicans called mitt romney's gaff-filled july tour of engnd, israel, and poland when our u.s. diplomats were attacked in lib yashg the "new york times" says romney's knee jerk response showed a tremendous lack of presidential character. >> michelle is a former obama administration top aide, currently advising obama's
9:26 am
re-election campaign on national security issues, served three years as undersecretary of defense for policy. michelle, good to see you. the new ad that is out now, you know, everybody has on the job training here. we know that president obama, when he first came into office didn't have a lot of foreign policy experiences. can you cut mitt romney some slack on that first visit, or do you think that really indicates a lack of understand ogt world stage? >> well, his initial performance abroad certainly did not inspire confidence. the truth is beyond that he hasn't been able to articulate a clear vision as to where he would take this country. he talks a lot about criticizing the president, criticizing his policies, but when you actually look at what he says, there's -- he seems to either embrace the president's plan or where he differentiates himself, really goes way, way from the mainstream and takes us into some pretty uncertain territory. i think that the thing that makes people uncomfortable about
9:27 am
him as a potential commander in chief is this sense of a lack of compass. where exactly would he lead. he doesn't seem to know that. >> the only difference that we really see, at least from romney's major speech here, is that regarding syria. for the most part he is very similar in his approach to the world as president obama. there doesn't seem to be a lot of daylight between him, except for arming the syrian rebels. what is the main distinction here, the real highlight of differences between these two leaders? >> well, again, he was very -- the first part of the speech was very critical of the president, and yet, as you said, when he goes through the particulars, it sounds like he is rearticulating exactly what president obama is doing in places like iran, in terms of our support for israel and the middle east peace process. >> why should somebody, voters, support the president then? if they are so similar when it comes to foreign policy, is there a major distinction between these two that people should be listening for? >>. >> there is. the president has a record. the american people have lived
9:28 am
through the last four years where they have -- where they have seen the president go after al qaeda and bring osama bin laden to justice. they've seen him bring the troops out of iraq. they've seen him put in place a transition plan for afghanistan. what they've heard from romney has been all over the map, and, frankly, they see him listening to a set of advisors who the same advisors who brought us the first iraq war, who advised president bush in the first administration and who really did so much damage to our standing in the world and our leadership in the world, and so it's very hard to know where mitt romney himself stands, and when he does listen to his advisors and stake out some of these positions like, you know, russia is our number one geopolitical foe or, you know, day one in office i'm going to start a trade war with china, it's very disturbing. i think, you know, yes, the election is about the economy, but people have to have a fundamental sense of comfort about this person as commander
9:29 am
in chief, and i don't think they have that with romney. >> if i can interrupt here. one of the things that people seem to be concerned about here is the level of defense spending and really whether or not that needs to be cut, whether or not that needs to be bolstered to protect u.s. interests around the world, and here's what mitt romney said. >> i'll roll back president obama's deep and arbitrary cuts to our national defense that would devastate our military. i'll make the critical defense investment that is we need to remain secure. the decisions we make today will determine our ability to protect america tomorrow. >> so we just spoke with general spider marks who says that in some ways americans aren't inclined make those kinds of serious cuts to our defense. what is the campaign's response? >> the cuts that romney was referring to are what would kick in with sequestration. that is, if the congress fails to reach a budget deal, these across the board cuts would kick
9:30 am
in. the president is on record as opposing those. secretary panetta is on record opposing those. no one wants those to happen. so that is not the plan of this president in any shape or form. what is the plan of this president is a plan that he devised with the full participation and support of the joint chiefs of staff and the combatant commanders, and it lays out a four-year defense plan that keeps our military, the best in the world, and keeps faith with the troops and their families. >> all right. we're going to have to leave it there, and obviously we'll be paying very close attention to the debate with these two regarding foreign policy. that will be the third and final debate between the two. thank you very much. appreciate it. he faced his strongest challenge yet, and he won, but despite his victory, hugo chavez still has obstacles to overcome. we'll take a look at the path forward for the venezuelan president as well as his country. ♪
9:31 am
(train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.
9:32 am
why they're always there to talk. i love you, james. don't you love me? i'm a robot. i know. i know you're a robot! but there's more in you than just circuits and wires! uhhh. (cries) a machine can't give you what a person can. that's why ally has knowledgeable people there for you, night and day. ally bank. your money needs an ally. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan.
9:33 am
[ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral. see why millions of people have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. don't wait. call now.
9:34 am
>> two of the world's biggest telecom companies will pose a threat to u.s. national security because of their ties with the chinese government. the companies, they've been trying to expand operations here in the united states, but this report suggests that using chinese equipment could make us vulnerable to cyber attack and even open up telecommunications to military and commercial spying. our foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty is at the state department, and talk about the two companies we're focussing on. the other waway and zte. what do they fear? >> what they're saying -- i mean, the intelligence community has been looking into these companies for a year. what they are saying essentially is that, albeit these companies are huge. waway, $30 billion company. it is around the world. it has at least 120,000 employees. 1 1,500 of them in the united states.
9:35 am
if i lot them provide telecome equipment in the united states that they will allow somehow access to the chinese government, to carry out intelligence spying, commercial spying, and it shouldn't be allowed. however, they also say this is a country of free enterprise, so they're urging companies not to deal with them. the companies, suzanne, are responding. they're saying that number one, they are not -- both companies say they're not connected with chinese government, and, in fact, welcome plummer, who is a representative from waway says it's not fair to hold hostage an independent employee-owned company that's bringing affordable broad bantd across the planet. they're saying we looked into
9:36 am
it, and they didn't answer our questions sufficiently, so, therefore, we shouldn't deal with them. >> is there any evidence that there is this spying or stealing of intellectual property by huawei, and what is their relationship with the chinese government because we do know -- there have been accusations certainly in the past that the chinese government has done that. >> right. well, there is no, as far as i can see, any concrete proof of that, you know, tying, let's say, cyber attacks to either of these companies. they provide communications equipment all over the world. i think the connection to huawei, the founder of the company was with the people's army, as many people were, but then he left the army and began this company. you would have to devil. a lot of those implications go back to the early, early time
9:37 am
of this company. don't tref this is a highly volatile situation, but not necessarily coming from these two companies. >> just to be clear here, this report, the recommendations from the report essentially, you cannot -- you can't enforce this, right? i mean, this is markets. this is something that the u.s. government can ask companies here not to do business with huawei and the others, but they can't actually say this is forbidden, is that correct? >> exactly. and, you know, that it has to be up to each individual company. they would, of course, have to find another provider, and presumably what the congress would want would be a u.s. provider. >> all right. jill dougherty, thank you so much. appreciate it. want to get a quick eck of the markets here. the check on the big board, it isown by 30 points or so. bond markets closed today for the columbus day holiday, but stocks, they are trading.
9:38 am
you can see dow down again 30 at the moment, and third quarter erjz kicking off tomorrow when alcoa reports. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 when i'm trading, i'm so into it, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 hours can go by before i realize tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 that i haven't even looked away from my screen. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 that kind of focus... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 that's what i have when i trade. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and the streetsmart edge trading platform from charles schwab... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 ...helps me keep an eye on what's really important to me. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 it's packed with tools that help me work my strategies, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 spot patterns and find opportunities more easily. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 then, when i'm ready... act decisively. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 i can even access it from the cloud and trade on any computer. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 with the exact same tools, the exact same way. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and the reality is, with schwab mobile, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 i can focus on trading anyplace, anytime...
9:39 am
tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 ...until i choose to focus on something else. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 trade at schwab for $8.95 a trade. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 open an account and trade tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 up to 6 months commission-free online equity trading tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 with a $50,000 deposit. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 call 1-800-786-7803 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and a trading specialist tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 will help you get started today. i was constantly fighting indoor allergies. after allegra, i found peace. only allegra is both fast and non-drowsy,
9:40 am
and it works on my outdoor allergies, too. after allegra, i have it all.
9:41 am
president hugo chavez wins another six-year term in venezuela. the turnout was huge. almost 81% of eligible voters went to the polls. compare that with about 61% in the 2008 u.s. presidential election. the man going up against him enrique made a strong showing, but it was chavez who ended up winning more than 54% of the vote. i want to bring in rafael romo. have i to ask you, are these
9:42 am
numbers legitimate? is this a legitimate election when you hear that turnout was more than, what, 81%? >> that was the first question that everybody had, right? when enrique came out last night and recognized official lids those results, you have to believe what the opposition is saying. they had a precedence in every single one of all polling places throughout venezuela, and they didn't see any irregularities. i haven't seen any evidence to the contrary, no evidence of tampering. >> you have been covering this. you talked a little bit this strategy from hugo chavez, some of the things, big give-aways, homes, refrigerators, all that. he just -- all the tactics, right, that could possibly be used to get voters to support him. >> well, the reality in venezuela is that apparently giving hand-outs to the poor works and has worked very well for president chavez. he has established living units, living complexes for people with low income handed out, refrigerators, a number of
9:43 am
different things and benefits and welfare programs and social programs all financed by oil money that really have increase the its popularity with the poor. >> is he going to do well in his administration? >> well, part of the reason why went to cuba to get treated is because cubans are very, very good at keeping secrets, and so nobody really knows what kind of -- first of all, what kind of cancer he has, number one. is tra the truth? nobody really knows. now, he had two surgeries. last year he first announced that he had cancer in june of 2011. he still looks puffy after he takes destroyed treatment, but whether he is cancer-free or not, it's an open question.
9:44 am
>> all right. well, we'll see if he governs any differently. he has another six years. a lot of corruption in that country. rafael, thank you. >> thank you. >> ten years ago even five years ago you wouldn't even think it's possible, but thanks to social media and other technology, women living in the world's toughest conditions, now they're getting a voice. they're making a difference. you're going to meet two of them. che. trust me, this is new bayer migraine. [ male announcer ] it's the power of aspirin plus more in a triple action formula to relieve your tough migraines. new bayer migraine formula.
9:45 am
9:46 am
>> in the middle of the pack and over. >> this is from the final lap of sunday's good sam 500 in talladega, alabama. it happened when tony stewart tried to block a move. more than 20 cars were involved. somehow math kenseth in the number 17 car was able to avoid the carnage who won the race under caution. can this power pose make you a winner? well, olympic gold medalist
9:47 am
usain bolt thinks so. he is ready to defend his title. more photos of the day up ahead. from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine
9:48 am
prescribed by rheumatologists.
9:49 am
9:50 am
more fears that syria's civil war will escalate into a regional fight. for the fifth day in a row syrian army forces are exchanging fire with turkish troops on the border, and in northern syria here's what's happening. syrian troops, they are pushing to retake the key cities of homs and aleppo. opposition activists say at least 76 people have died across syria so far today. this is the suburb of aleppo in northern syria. the person who posted this video on youtube says it shows regime war planes attacking buses there and killing civilians. cnn has no way to independently verify the video. well, empowerment.
9:51 am
as children it wasn't a feeling that stella paul or humming bird knew. they didn't know it well at all. they learned find power from within. they broke free from lives of abuse and repression, and now through their work with world pulse and the power of social media they are teaching other women how to do the same. cnn is proud to support world pulse whose mission is to connect women globally, put the focus on human rights issues and help women find their own inner strength. >> i'm empowering young people in nepal to become agents of social change. >> every woman has a story to tell. i help women tell their own stories. >> well, we are proud to be joined by these women. they were chosen from 600 world pulse correspondents to represent the organization on a tour here in the united states. welcome. congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> this work that you do is so incredibly important. tell me, first of all, why it is
9:52 am
personally important to you. >> it's very important to me to deliver the voices of my people in syria, and my target was to go to the -- to the american society inside because i heard many people telling me that we don't know what is going on. we are confused. i am here to tell them that i know sometimes it's confusing, but don't let that freeze you from doing -- from not doing something about it. >> it takes a lot of courage to do what you do. do you ever fear for your life or your safety? >> of course, i do. i had my fears and my doubt all the time. but sometimes it takes a leap of faith to bring change. >> it's just incredible when you think about that because people watch, and it's just a lot of pictures to people, and you bring a human face to it because you know and you understand what's happening there in your own home country. stella, i want to talk to you a little bit about this because what is taking place in india,
9:53 am
some young girls, they are just smplly thrown away, they're discarded. what was your experience there? >> absolutely, suzanne. every single month we are killing 1,600 girl children in their mother's homes, and i am a survivor of human infanticide. my experience begins right there. someone who was -- that girl who was thrown away and still who was able to make it back. that's something that keeps driving me, and i -- through my work i try to make sure that i'm going to do something about it. >> how did you survive that? how did you get through? when you say you were thrown away, can you tell me what happened? >> i was sick with dyptheria along with my brother, and my brother died, and my family decided that as a girl child, i do not -- i'm not worth saving, so they actually destroyed although medicine that was available around me, and they just decided to leave me alone and let alone to be died, but i
9:54 am
survived because my mother had the courage to stand against the family decision, and she had the courage to find a doctor who could perform a surgery, and i actually live with the scar on my throat, which is the result of that surgery that he performed. it's a reminder of what happens to girl children in india. >> i see that scar. you know, it's heartbreaking to hear your story. when other people see this, is there anything that we can do? >> of course. when other people see this and when i tell them their story and i say that bad things are happening every day, but we can do something about it. if we can empower ourselves and we can get help. we can get help very quickly. we can reach out to other people. if you can't help yourself, if your people around you can't help yourself, other people will come in, but the important thing is to let them have access to technology so they can make that connection possible reaching out it others, asking for help. that's what i do. giving them the help of
9:55 am
technology so they can help themselves and others. >> humhummingbird, we hear thes oufl stories, and no one knows how this is going to end, this civil war that is taking place in your country. you're going back home. what do you do next? >> we will continue talking about it. we will continue to gather the forces of the local communities. there are many people working inside syria under cover, and they are unknown. they are the heroes that are hidden for the world. there are also other women, many women, many beautiful women that are working inside syria to help the refugees and field hospitals, in taking aid to the refugees in schools, and their voices are not heard usually. i want to hear their voices also. >> it's just extraordinary the tour that you have taken throughout the country, that the fact that you are heading back to your home countries, and making such a powerful, powerful
9:56 am
change. it's just very, very inspiring. thank you very much, both of you, and congratulations for the recognition. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> all right. it sounds a little strange, but an astronaut wandering around a famous italian landmark. we're going to show you why up next. up. a short word that's a tall order. up your game. up the ante. and if you stumble, you get back up. up isn't easy, and we ought to know. we're in the business of up. everyday delta flies a quarter of million people
9:57 am
while investing billions improving everything from booking to baggage claim. we're raising the bar on flying and tomorrow we will up it yet again. anne's tablet called my phone. anne's tablet was chatting with a tablet in sydney... a desktop in zurich... and a telepresence room in brazil. the secure cloud helped us get some numbers from my assistant's pc in new york. and before i reached the top,
9:58 am
the board meeting became a congrats we sold the company party. wait til my wife's phone hears about this. [ cellphone vibrating ] [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center, working together has never worked so well.
9:59 am
wack back to "newsroom international." here's what is top in the charts. take a look at what an italian rock band's softer side looks like. ♪ singing their love song. the band name comes from a local grape which translates into bitter black. stories catching our attention today. in india women wait to fill out
10:00 am
applications for affordable housing. it's a government program for women of holeless families. some five million applications were handed out. martial arts are performed outside a temple in india. it is a ritual to celebrate the guru who founded the city. and usain bolt is a legend and plans to dominate in the next olympics. in the meantime, the jamaican olympic gold medal shared some of his moves with sprinters in new zealand and showed a group of folks techniques during a track and field clinic. zoirchlgts this hour the cnn newsroom mitt romney lays out his world vision in a major foreign policy speech. adair devil dares to jump from the edge of space to earth. want to get right to it. mitt romney gaining some ground
10:01 am
here. in a poll taken after wednesday night's debate, three days before the debate, president obama had a 5% point edge among registered voters. hoping to build on the momentum, romney this morning attacked the president's leadership when it comes to foreign policy. ♪ romney delivered his first major foreign policy speech at virginia military institute in lexington. it is the country's oldest military academy. he came out swinging. he condemned the president for what he says is leading from behind, declaring it is time to change course in the middle east. want to bring in our foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty at the state department. first of all, the first criticism was that he said the president didn't have this
10:02 am
overall strategy that would be successful in the middle east. let's listen. >> i know the president hopes for a safer, freer, and more prosperous middle east aallied with us. i share this hope, but hope is not a strategy. we can't support our friends and defeat our enemies in the middle east when our words are not backed up by deeds. >> jill, i want to ask you this because is this about a failed strategy on the part of the obama administration, or are these factors that are basically playing out in the middle east out of the white house's control? >> you know, i would say a lot of those are factors that really are out of the white house control. now, you can say certainly on the middle east, let's say, the peace process, the obama administration really has not done very much. pretty much kind of stuck where it was with no progress.
10:03 am
the question really would be what concretely would mitt romney do that would be very different from what the president would do, and i think that right now i don't see any glaring differences. in fact, you know, even on that point of bn benghazi, and the attack on the u.s. ambassador that killed the u.s. ambassador and three other americans, romney it appears from the statements we saw was going to link directly the group that carried that out to al qaeda, but then that was softened to al qaeda linked groups, so even there, you know, you just have to kind of, you know, designate down and try to get very specific, and i still don't think there are a lot of specifics at this point, suzanne. >> jill, one of the things -- you bring up that point there is that the romney campaign has tried to capitalize off of the questions around benghazi, around that attack.
10:04 am
romney earlier today making the case that he believed it was deception on the part of the obama administration to initially say that this was a random response to a film that insulted the prophet mohammed instead of a terrorist group. i want you to listen to his case he made. >> these attacks were the deliberate work of terrorists who use it to impose their dark ideology on others, especially women and girls, who are fighting to control much of the middle east today and who seek to wage perpetual war on the west. >> jill, which side actually plays out as the one that gives a convincing argument because we know the romney team also -- they essentially got it wrong in the beginning as well when they were talking about the sfons from the obama administration apologizing for this video when, in fact, that was not the case. >> right. i think that the romney administration is answering what the -- i should say the romney
10:05 am
presidential bid, or his team, is answering what the administration is saying early on right after it happened, but they have since moved on from there. they are no longer saying it was a reaction directedly linked to the video, the anger over the video. as more facts have come out, you now have three investigations, and i think that's where the difficulty is. as these three investigations are carried out, more and more information comes out. nothing definitive, and we really won't know, i think, until those reports, the fbi, the state department, and congressional investigations are complete, and the entire picture is clear. that's why you've got this kind of back and forth. >> and, jill, do we think any of that information will come out before the election or essentially people will take a look at the final debate between these two and make up their minds about foreign policy based on that? >> you know, when you look -- i
10:06 am
think if you get out of washington and you look at people in the country side, i am not quite sure that all of these fine details are going to make that much difference. i think the overarching thing that could is this charge by mitt romney that the administration has been weak, it didn't, you know, define what should be going on in the world. if you accept that, then perhaps that argument does hold weight, but that, i think, is overarching. if you take the whole speech, it's really has obama been weak, standing back and not really leading, and that's what mitt romney is saying. >> all right. jill dougherty, good to see you. thank you. president obama, of course, he is reaching out to celebrity backers of hollywood. he is hosting a series of star-studded concerts, big dollar dinners. the goal is to raise $9.5 million over the next two days. dan lothian is with the president in keen, california, and, dan, first of all, we'll
10:07 am
talk about some of the big name stars. i know there's, like, quite a few of them there, but i'm curious if the obama campaign or the president has any response so far to this big policy speech that was late out by romney earlier this morning. >> well, the president himself has not weighed in on it yet, but his campaign spokesman, ben labolt, also former secretary of state madeleine albright did hold a conference call a short time ago where they really attacked mitt romney saying that he is not fit to be commander in chief. they said that his policies are what he would put in place are really unclear. that he has been shift aing lot of his positions, and, again, saying that he doesn't -- he is not really on the same level as the president. it was really sort of a fierce attack from the very beginning going detail by detail, whether it comes to the u.s. relationship with israel, whether it comes to what romney pointed out on libya, or even on south america. they said that it semplly is
10:08 am
lack and that he is not fit to be commander in chief. that coming from the obama xaen. nothing from the president himself. >> we've also heard, dan, the vice president joe biden say, you know, bin laden is did. do they think that is something that really resonates with voters? >> they do. it's interesting that you point that out because even last night as the president was at that big fundraising event, you were talking about a concert with some 6,000 people in los angeles. he dpiked off what were his accomplishments during thinks first term, and normally he will start with, you know, health care or don't ask don't tell or some other issues that he says are his accomplishments, but he started off with foreign policy. ticking off he said he promised to end the war in iraq, and he did that, and how he would wind down the conflict in afghanistan, how that is underway right now, and then he said how he went after osama bin laden and got him. there is something that resonates. you hear that not only from the
10:09 am
vies presses, but the president himself. >> dan, finally give us some fun stuff. who is there? who are the big stars here? >> well, this event -- you know, yesterday what you saw was, you know, earth, wind, and fire for the old school. also george clooney was there. katy perry for the new school, as the president pointed out. john legend will be at one of the big fundraisers. another big concert. 6,000 350e78 expected in northern california. where we're at right now is the cesar chavez memorial. the president will be unveiling it as a national monument. this is slated as an official event, but in the context of an election year, this is important at least for the obama campaign as the president is trying to reach out to hispanic voters that will be critical to his re-election bid. >> dan lothian, good to see you, as always. thank you, dan. while the presidential contenders are busy raising money, of course, talking foreign policy as well. joe bide sxen paul ryan, they are practicing for their big
10:10 am
moment. the vice presidential debate, that is on thursday. the hot topic on the sunday talk shows. let's watch. people enjoy these debates. i would expect a lot of people to be watching. i think paul is going to did a great job, but i also think that joe biden is incredibly gifted when it comes to debating and understanding policy. he is a good orator. >> look, i think he just has to go out there and prosecute the same case the president was prosecuting. i hope that the opponent that he gets to debate, though, doesn't walk away from the very record and platform that have so been a part of the romney-ryan campaign. >> so the pressure on both candidates after last week's debate, however, what many saw as president obama's lackluster performance. the vice president, joe biden, really feeling the heat now. at least that's how the folks at "snl" see it. >> is there anything more exciting than joe biden thinking it's up to him to get the lead back? it's tivo time.
10:11 am
>> and this reminder, can you watch the vice presidential debate right here on cnn. joe biden and paul ryan go at it thursday. our coverage beginning at 7:00 eastern. here's what we're working on for this hour. >> more people have come down with a dangerous form of meningitis all because of contaminated steroid shots. it turns out the fda does not regulate the company that supplied the drug and many others like it. we'll explain why. a congressional report warns two chinese telecommunications companies operating in the u.s. pose a threat to national security. and adair devil sky diver is getting ready to break world records with a freefall from space. we'll have a live report on his wild mission. designed for men's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+.
10:12 am
to support cell health. syou know, i've helped a lot off people save a lot of money. but today...( sfx: loud noise of large metal object hitting the ground) things have been a little strange. (sfx: sound of piano smashing) roadrunner: meep meep. meep meep? (sfx: loud thud sound) what a strange place. geico®. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.
10:13 am
with a vial and syringe. me, explaining what i was doing at breakfast. and me discovering novolog mix 70/30 flexpen. flexpen is pre-filled with your pre-mix insulin. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. no vials, syringes or coolers to carry. flexpen is insulin delivery my way. novolog mix 70/30 is an insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. do not injecif you do not plan to eat within 15 minutes to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. most common side effects include reactions at the injection site, weight gain, swelling of your hands and feet, and vision changes. other serious side effects include low blood sugar and low potassium in your blood. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, sweating, or if you feel faint. i would have started flexpen sooner, but i thought it would cost more.
10:14 am
turns out it's covered by my insurance plan. thanks to flexpen, vial and syringe are just a memory. ask your doctor about novolog mix 70/30 flexpen, covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. find your co-pay at myflexpen.com. with odor free aspercreme. powerful medicine relieves pain fast, with no odor. so all you notice is relief. aspercreme. fungal meningitis outbreak is now getting worse. the outbreak has hit nine states, tainted steroid injections are believed to be the link. the maker has now announced a recall of all its products. want to bring elizabeth coknow to explain how is this happening? can you explain what's going here? >> first, i want to tell you about new numbers we have. we just got new numbers from the
10:15 am
centers for disease control, and there's an increase in just one day. in just one day we're seeing more cases, one more death. let's take a look at the numbers. 105 cases of people who have fungal men grooits jits, believed to be linked to these contaminated steroid shots that people got for back pain. eight deaths. there was only seven yesterday, and this has occurred in nine states. it's suspected that these numbers are going to go up and up and up because you could have gotten these shots even back in may and just now be getting sick. it can take a long time for this disease to fester, as it would. >> do you think that you did get one of those shots, what should you do? >> you may be getting a phone call from the hospital where or the facility that treated you. they're trying to reach out to people and say, hey, mrs. smith, you got a steroid shot here, you know, three months ago, and we want you to make sure look out for things. headache. look out for nausea, any symptoms. be proactive and an empowered patient. if you got a steroid shot, of course, you don't know what
10:16 am
company made the shot. who asks that question? you should call your doctor and say, hey, doctor, what company made the shot that you gave me? >> is this the first time something like this has happened? >> sadly, it's not. there have been problems with these compounding pharmacies, which we've been talking so much about, in alabama nine people died last year because of contamination of a product from a compounding pharmacy. >> when you say a compounding pharmacy -- >> usually we think of pharmacies where the guy counts out the pills. compounding pharmacies actually put medicine together. take a medicine, put it in a vial, and so they're not quite a regular old pharmacy, but they're not quite a big pharmaceutical company either. pharmaceutical companies are regulated by the food and drug administration. a compounding pharmacy is regulated for the most part by the state. states can be very uneven about how they do their regulating. there's been a lot of complaints that these are not regulated enough, and you just have to point to this, what happened in alabama, nine people dying. florida, they were eye
10:17 am
infections because of solutions that were prepared at compounding pharmacy. a lot of pressure over the years to be stricter on these pharmacies, but it hasn't quite happened the convey these advocates would like. >> if you get this kind of meningitis, is it fatal? is it automatically fatal? >> it can be fatal, and it has a high mortality rate. it can be treated. the key is you want to catch it quickly, and that's why hospitals and doctors offices are supposed to be calling their patients and saying, hey, we gave you something that might have fungus in it, and they're supposed to have you, you know, talk with you about what you should do. some people might say, well, i feel fine now, but i want to come in and get a spinal tap to see if i have any fungus. >> sure. >> it could just be sitting around many your body, but it won't actually get you sick for a while. >> is that how you find out, a final tap? >> that's one of the primary ways. >> i hear that's a painful process. >> it's not fun, but it's better than having fungal meningitis which could kill you. >> thank you. for more on the outbreak, including a list of the hospitals that might have given
10:18 am
patients this tainted steroid, first visit cnn.com/empowered patient. sky diver hoping practice makes perfect when he jumps from the edge of space to earth tomorrow. a look at how he has been training for this big moment. back from rough economic times. employees are being forced to do more with less. and the need for capable leaders is greater than ever. when you see these problems do you take a step back, or do you want to dive right in? with a degree in business from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to go further in your career than you ever thought possible. let's get started at capella.edu boring. boring. [ jack ] after lauren broke up with me, i went to the citi private pass page and decided to be...not boring. that's how i met marilyn... giada... really good. yes! [ jack ] ...and alicia. ♪ this girl is on fire
10:19 am
[ male announcer ] use any citi card to get the benefits of private pass. more concerts, more events, more experiences. [ jack ] hey, who's boring now? [ male announcer ] get more access with the citi card. [ crowd cheering, mouse clicks ] [ male announcer ] get more access with the citi card. i"i'm not in favor of a a$5 trillion tax cut. that's not my plan." mitchell: "the nonpartisan tax policy center concluded that mitt romney's tax plan would cost $4.8 trillion over 10 years." vo: why won't romney level with us about his tax plan, which gives the wealthy huge new tax breaks? because according to experts, he'd have to raise taxes on the middle class - or increase the deficit to pay for it. if we can't trust him here... how could we ever trust him here? ♪ ♪
10:20 am
we're lucky, it's not every day you find a companion as loyal as a subaru. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. zoirchgs a space rocket blasted off from cape canaveral last night launching the fist private flight from the international space station. >> liftoff of the space x falcon 9 rocket. launching dragon to the international space station and returning cargo -- >> the unmanned capsule called dragon is on its way to the space station after separating from its rocket. it's carrying 1 240us pounds of cargo. the company has been contracted by nasa to fly a dozen flights to resupply the space station. fearless felix, he is also known as felix baumgartner, and he has gotten to be pretty fearless.
10:21 am
he actually is going to jump out of a balloon. this is 23 miles above the earth. this is exactly what he plans to do. the idea is to set a world record for a freefall. he has already tried it from a lower altitude. brian todd is live in roswell, new mexico. wow. that's pretty cool. he was supposed to try it today, but didn't happen because of the weather. what's the plan? >> suzanne, the plan is for them to launch this mission very early tomorrow morning. probably about 8:30 eastern time is when the balloon and the capsule will go up. that's going to take about three hours to ascend and then by about 11:30 eastern time he is slated to basically step out of that capsule and do his jump. 120,000 feet above sea level, and that will set a freefall record. he is going to be actually freefalling roughly 115,000 feet. in the process of doing that, suzanne, he is also going to break a speed record. no one has gone above the speed
10:22 am
of sound outside of a capsule. outside of a vehicle. is he iffing to be doing it with just a high pressure suit, a helmet, and a parachute. that is the plan for tomorrow. hopefully 24 hours from now we will be celebrating a successful mission with a healthy and intact felix baumgartner on the ground. they did have to delay it for a day because of high winds here in roswell. that system is supposed to move through by this evening, and they say as of now it's a go tomorrow morning. >> well, that's pretty cool. tell us a little bit about the risk, first of all, and we're watching -- we're sealing some of this equipment that we saw. this thin space suit and this helmet that's supposed to protect them here. what is that supposed to do? >> this high pressure suit, suzanne, is key. if this thing fails in 234i way, then you could have some really bad circumstances on your hands. the suit is supposed to protect them from the lack of pressure at that altitude, but there are other risks. i mean, he could get decompression sick ons the way up. they call that the bends. deep sea divers get that often.
10:23 am
once he steps off the capsule, everything is reliant on that high pressure suit. if it gets compromised in any way, he could freeze severely because the temperatures get about 70 degrees below zero we're told up there. if it's compromised even more, we're told that if the suit gets breached somehow at that altitude, the air could get sucked out of his lungs and his blood could boil. that suit is key. if that suit fails, then there's going to be something pretty bad happening very high above the earth. >> why is he doing this? do you know? >> well, i mean, he is adair devil. that's one key reason. he has base jumped in kuala lumpor. he has base jumped from the -- he does things like this. really what they're saying is this is going to advance science. this is going to enable them to develop the next generation of space suit. the next generation of high pressure suit. the gentleman whose record is he going to break, joe kitinger, he did this 52 years ago, and they
10:24 am
base the space suits for the apollo and mercury missions on his space suit, on his high pressure suit. with the suit that felix is using, if it's going to work, they'r going to be able to develop other space missions with astronauts wearing a very similar kind of suit. >> he really is fearless. we wish him all the best. thank you, brian. we'll be watching. sxwlirchlgts poll numbers have dropped after the debate last week. we'll look at how these numbers break down in the swing states, and don't forget, can you watch cnn live on your computer while you're at work at cnn.com/26. an. why they have a raise your rate cd. tonight our guest, thomas sargent. nobel laureate in economics, and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no. if he can't, no one can. that's why ally has a raise your rate cd. ally bank.
10:25 am
your money needs an ally.
10:26 am
then you may be looking for help in choosing the right plan for your needs. so don't wait. call now. whatever your health coverage needs, unitedhealthcare can help you find the right plan. open enrollment to choose your medicare coverage begins october 15th and ends december 7th. so now is the best time to review your options and enroll in a plan. medicare has two main parts, parts a and b, to help cover a lot of your expenses, like hospital care... and doctor visits. but they still won't cover all of your costs. now's the time to learn about unitedhealthcare plans that may be right for you. are you looking for something nice and easy? a medicare advantage plan can give you doctor, hospital and prescription drug coverage all in one plan... for nothing more than what you already pay for part b. you'll also have the flexibility to change doctors from a network of providers dedicated to helping you stay healthy.
10:27 am
call now to learn more. unitedhealthcare has the information you need so you'll be better prepared when making medicare decisions. maybe you'd just like help paying for your prescriptions. consider a part d prescription drug plan. it may help reduce the cost of your prescription drugs. remember, open enrollment ends friday, december 7th. we can help. call unitedhealthcare to learn about medicare plans that may be right for you. call now. in arizona today explain border patrol agent nicolas identifiy is being laid to rest. he was killed last week in a shooting in southern arizona. the fbi says they think it was a case of friendly fire with ivy and other agents mistakenly shooting at each other.
10:28 am
one other agent was wounded. now, ivy leaves behind a wife and two small daughters. then there's this. >> syria troops are pushing to retake the key cities of homs and aleppo. opposition activists say at least 76 people have died across syria so far today. this is a suburb of aleppo in northern syria. now, one person who posted the video on youtube says it shows regime war planes attacking buses there and killing civilians. cnn has no way to independently verify the video. and back to politics. we have heard of all kinds of reasons, rationale for the president's debate performance last week, and even if you thought he did a good job, you probably could admit he seemed a little distracted.
10:29 am
once again, the folks at "snl" figured out why. >> number 20 -- >> excuse me, governor. mr. president? >> i'm sorry. yeah, yeah. what's up? >> mr. president, governor romney has just said that he killed osama bin laden. would you care to respond? >> no. you two go ahead. >> open up more trade, especially with latin america. >> the anniversary gift. i can't believe i front of the anniversary gift. this is bad. this is very -- okay. i was distracted by the mess i inherited from bush, but, still, i should have remembered our anniversary. >> all jokes aside, mitt romney gain soming ground after beating president obama in last week's
10:30 am
debate. joining us to talk about the numbers our political editor paul steinhauser. that's pretty stuff. they know how to go there. are we talking about much of a balance here after the debate? >> well, one poll does indicate a small bounce. take a look at this, suzanne. this is from gallop. they do that daily tracking poll. it's a seven-day poll. look what they did. they split it up in two. on the left column, those are the three days prior to last week's debate in denver. you see according to gallop, among registered voters nationwide, the president a five-point advantage. with the sampling area, look at the right. those are october 4th through 6th. the three days after the debate, and gallop indicates it's all tied up there. yeah, i mean, this one poll does indicate that mitt romney did get a bounce. of course, we're going to see a lot more national polls, a lot more polls. most importantly in the battle ground states later today, tomorrow, and wednesday ask thursday. keep your eyes on those state polls. they're really the most telling. suzanne. >> also more debates. tell us about the expectation of thursdays. this is the vice president and paul ryan. >> yep.
10:31 am
i think there's more add stake now than there would have been beforehand, but the president's lackluster performance last wednesday makes this debate between ryan and biden a little more important. both candidates talking about how they're getting ready for it. listen. >> i'm looking forward to it. i really am. the thing about congressman ryan is he has been straight forward up until now about everything -- all the significant changes he wants to make. we have a fundamentally different view on a whole range of issues. >> is he fast on the cuff. he is a witty guy. he knows who he is. he has been doing this for 40 years. you're not going to rattle joe biden. joe is very good on the attack. >> we saw a gentler joe biden. it may be more aggressive than we saw this time than president obama last week. maybe he'll bring up the 47% and bain capital. stay tuned, suzanne. >> tell us a little bit about that debate that happened not with the real guys, but fox
10:32 am
news's bill o'reilly and comedy central's john stewart facing off over the weekend. >> yeah. i think this was a little more entertaining than the one we saw last wednesday. these guys dent have the burden of running for president, but enough of me. let's take a listen. >> mike is here in the audience sxfshgs he asked this question. if you could see any american elected president, who would you choose and why? >> i would say clint eastwood have to be my guy. >> well, why don't we ask him. so, um -- what? tell them to do what? >> that was one of the lighter moments. you know, there was some serious parts to this debate. both gentlemen talked policy, and i think, though, the american viewers were the winners in that debate, suzanne. >> absolutely. thank you, paul. you can watch the vice presidential debate right here on cnn. joe biden and paul ryan, they're
10:33 am
going at it on thursday. our coverage begins at 7:00 eastern. a fight to get voters registered in time for the election. it's kind of going badly in some places. we're going to take a look at voter apathy.
10:34 am
10:35 am
10:36 am
the deadline a day away. volunteers feel the urgency to get voters registered in florida. one door, one citizen at a time. they're encouraging folks just go out and vote. as our john zirella tells us some have no interest in going to the polls. >> reporter: just evena hernandez and caryn garcia go door to door. the question they ask is simple, but one of democracy's most important. in florida the deadline is tuesday. if you're not registered by then, you can't vote in the presidential election. >> sometimes i get sad because people tell me, you know, i don't want to vote. i don't like voting. you know, it's kind of like frustrating sometimes that they do have the right and they can
10:37 am
vote. they just don't want to vote. >> they work for the florida immigrant coalition. one of a plethora of organizations, some partisan, some not, engaged in a last minute swing state signing race to register voters. since the state's august primary, more than 133,000 people have registered. at nova southeastern university law school in broward county. >> are you registered to vote. >> at florida atlantic university in boca raton. >> are you registered to vote this year? >> outside the courthouse in plantation, there's no mistaking which candidate alan ehrlich supports, but he says -- >> we register anyone that comes along that wants to register. >> you would prefer they register democrat since -- >> of course, i work for the obama campaign. >> when he enrolled jonathan registered. >> i'm looking in the future ten years down the line. whatever they can do to make their four years count is what i really want. >> with so much at stake in florida, there can be a darker side to voter registration. palm beach county supervisor of
10:38 am
electrics suzanne booker discovered discrepancies, signatures that looked the same, addresses that didn't appear right on more than 100 voter registration forms. >> we just haven't ever experienced this kind of issue with the registration forms, and so that's got us a little disconcerted zoosh the company at the center of what is now a statewide investigation strategic allied consulting hired by the republican party to register voterwas fired. strategic insists the problem was with one individual and that it maintains rigorous quality control measures. back in fort lauderdale not a good day for jusinia and karen. only a handful of new registers. that hurts, they say. you see, neither one is a u.s. citizen. both are part of the group called dreamers, whose parents brought them here illegally when they were children, and here they are trying to encourage people to exercise a right they
10:39 am
only wish they had. >> have a nice day. >>. a threat to american national security. that is what a congressional court is now calling two chinese companies operating here in the united states. we're going to explain why. questions? anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. stop! stop! stop! come back here! humans -- we are beautifully imperfect creatures living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back with great ideas like our optional better car replacement. if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy one a model year newer.
10:40 am
call... and ask one of our insurance experts about it today. hello?! we believe our customers do their best out there in the world, and we do everything we can to be there for them when they need us. [car alarm blaring] call now and also ask about our 24/7 support and service. call... and lock in your rate for 12 months today. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?
10:41 am
10:42 am
house intelligence committee reports that two of the beggest telecom companies could pose a threat to u.s. national security because of their ties to the chinese government. these companies have been trying to expand operations here in the united states, but this report suggests that using chinese equipment could make us vulnerable to cyber attack and open our telecommunications to military and commercial spying. felicia taylor is in new york to explain what is going on. these two companies, the focus of the report. one is called huawei and one called zte. what do they suspect these companies are able to do? >> it sounds pretty scary, frankly, but, of course, naturally the chinese companies
10:43 am
are not agreeing with the report. it was prepared by house intelligence committee over the past year, and basically hauwei and zte are two of the largest chinese telecom companies, and they want to expand here in the united states, but both are big tech companies that make products like reuters and other internet gear. the report says that china has the means, the opportunity and motive to use telecom companies formal -- for malicious purposes. the report is especially critical of huawei citing alleged ties to iran, and breaking -- and a pattern in practice of potentially illegal behavior in the u.s. both companies are disputing the findings. huawei says the committee ignored our prooun track record of security but also paid no attention to the large amount of facts that we have provided. zte says that it's set an
10:44 am
unprecedented standard for cooperation by any chinese company with a congressional investigation. so it's very important to note that the report doesn't indicate any proof of wrong doing by the companies as of yet. this is a warning, however, that companies should be careful if they are going to engage in any kind of business with huawei and zte. loo tell us how the market is doing today? >> well, not so great. it started out down about 30 points. it's not a disaster. cnn money did a survey of economists and fund managers. most of them believe that the rally, unfortunately, has come to an end. you know, you have a lot of concerns still out there. stocks are posting double digit gains for the year right now, and that's pretty darn good. the major averages are up between about 11% and 19% across the board. the survey says that that's right where experts think the market will finish out this year. a few reasons for the expected stall? the upcoming presidential election. it's an unknown. we don't know who is going to run the country for the next four years. stocks may remain in a holding pattern until investors have that answer. of course, there's also the
10:45 am
fiscal cliff. that's one of a variety of those spending cuts and tax increases kicking in in the new year. congress has been noncommitmental about how it's going to handle that, and that's really what's upsetting most of the trade others wall street because, again, it's an unanswered question. it's unpredictable headlines out of europe that are also expected to factor in, so for today the dow is just slightly lower. again, not a disaster. 30 points. it's okay. >> we look for the silver lining. we're looking for it. >> we try. >> thank you, felicia. zirchl the ungood morning rate fell in september. more people returned to the labor force, and hiring was steady. in this week's smart is the new rich, we see a guy that took a big risk to make a career change in a brightening job market. >> he wanted to switch careers from operations in i.t. to marketing and big data. in a slow jobs market that takes training and risk. >> i decided to go back to business school, and i went part-time and realized that i needed even more training, so i
10:46 am
left my full-time position and gained an internship at cbs, and that was a great gateway, so the internship plus the mba, i was able to fortunately land. looking more at the marketing and helping with making strategic decisions. >> the switch took time and money. $80,000 in student loans. >> is it worth the investment to retrain in your career and take on all those student loans? >> yes. it's worth the investment. >> the degree alone doesn't open doors. he also worked with a job coach. >> we really worked with him on interviewing and networking, because, let's face it, as a career changer, his resume speaks to what he did before. in order to get people to think of him in a different way, he had to talk to people about his story. >> reporter: not all career switches require an mba and $80,000 in debt. consider community colleges or free on-line courses in your new field. >> counter intuitively a career
10:47 am
changer can't seem like a career changer. people will ask about experience if you are not demonstrating enough expert sees or a skillset. you have to show the people who are already in that job, in that industry that i can do this too, and it's just a question of getting hired. >> remember, an employer typically scans a resume for ten seconds or less. >> job seekers will spend the rest of their search hoping for the perfect resume that gets noticed. it's irrelevant. what really matters is networking and interviewing. you want to get in front of as many people and tell them your story. he was interested in strategy. he talked to people who had those jobs. he didn't know them, but he reached out. >> over the two and a half journey to get the job that i wanted, but it definitely was worth it, and it's paying off now. this is my dream job. >> christine romans, cnn, new york. >> good for him. it's a chilly day for most of the country. we're going to take a look at where the temperatures actually set some records. americans are always ready to work hard for a better future.
10:48 am
since ameriprise financial was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪
10:49 am
10:50 am
all right, the folks in new orleans, they don't need reason to celebrate. but they have one today including my family new orleans
10:51 am
saints, quarterback drew brees set a record last night. his 48th game in a row with a touchdown pass. he broke the record set 52 years ago by colts quarterback johnny unitas and head coach sean payton got to watch. he's suspended this year because of the saints alleged bounty program, but brees asked the nfl commissioner for a special permission to allow payton to be at the game. it is getting pretty chilly in parts of the country. so cold in fact we're seeing some records that are broken today. chad, tell us what's going on. >> 31 in tulsa. wisdom, montana, the winner or the loser depending on your point of view, five degrees over the weekend. that's 27 below freezing. i think that's the end of tomato season. if you have some -- just cut them up and make fried green tomato. wisdom, montana, 5 degrees above
10:52 am
zero on sunday. laramie, 6. we had records today, not just like we're seeing now. in the 20s and 30s, not single digits like the weekend. st. joseph, missouri, 22. you had things out there in the garden, but not anymore. freeze threat moves to upstate new york, back to buffalo, down to chautauqua county, the poconos and alleghenies. not seeing temperatures that are below freezing in the big cities, like scranton or for pittsburgh, but you get out toward dubois, williamsport, you get out to those areas that are away from cities and away from the city heat, you will definitely be below 32. the best thing to do, if you want to try to save the tomatoes, cover them up, don't put a plastic tarp over the top, the plastic touches the leaves, the plastic puts the heat in the cold right through and your plants are dead anyway. here you go. if you're going to be there. low spot across the country, 45, denver. a great example of what a cold front is. on thursday, 83.
10:53 am
on friday morning, you were at 32. that's just, wow, 51 degree swings here and that's just what happens in the fall. 67 for tomorrow in kansas city. yes it does warm up. this is not the end of the beginning of fall. this is not where winter starts. though there was some snow and temperatures like this do look more like winter than anything else. this is just kind of a first cold front that comes through, gives you the shock. i remember living in wlbuffalo,e had a saying, if there was snow on the pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern by the 31st, it would be a cold winter. there is a lot of snow in some spots. some spots have 12 inches of snow. it is a 50/50 chance. >> have to make sure my mom covers her tomato plants. she's always planting tomatoes. last knight, nnight not a good the tomatoes. do you have an update about el nino? >> we had la nina, that makes a big change for hurricane season. el nino can come in and slam
10:54 am
california and make a bunch of things different across the country when it comes to weather changes. all of a sudden, el nino kind of changed its mind and now it is neutral. which means that things should be normal for the rest of the season. not one big swing one way or the other. what normal means now compared to what it meant when you and i were kids, i'm not sure, but normal is what we're going to get. >> okay. thank you, chad. good to see you. if your next trip takes you through new york's liberty international airport, take note according to the star ledger newspaper, tsa agents there are getting low marks for security checks. the paper says that agents carried out standard passenger pat-downs correctly only about 17% of the time. the agents never told passengers if they could choose pat-down over full body scans. a statue of christopher columbus hovering over columbus circumstance until new yo circle in new york city, now an artist created an unusual way for people to see it face to face. it is not sitting withal with
10:55 am
some folks. i'm barack obama, and i approve this message. "i'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut. that's not my plan." mitchell: "the nonpartisan tax policy center concluded that mitt romney's tax plan would cost $4.8 trillion over 10 years." vo: why won't romney level with us about his tax plan, which gives the wealthy huge new tax breaks? because according to experts, he'd have to raise taxes on the middle class - or increase the deficit to pay for it. if we can't trust him here... how could we ever trust him here? five days later, i had a massive heart attack.
10:56 am
bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. before you begin an aspirin regimen. wooohooo....hahaahahaha! oh...there you go. wooohooo....hahaahahaha! i'm gonna stand up to her! no you're not. i know. you know ronny folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. how happy are they jimmy? happier than a witch in a broom factory. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.
10:57 am
10:58 am
one of new york's most iconic statues is now indoors. christopher columbus has his own apartment. you can visit and so is everybody happy about it? well, not really. richard roth has got the story. >> reporter: christopher columbus has stood tall in new york's columbus circle since 1892. one big problem, though -- >> i've been living in the city since 1966, columbus circle has always been there. but you don't look up. you can't see it. it is so high. >> reporter: faster than you can see nina, pointia and st. maria, they set sale to bring the people to columbus. now new yorkers and tourists enter another new world to rediscover columbus. columbus appears to have time travelled into the future, standing on a coffee table in living room americana, couch, cable tv, and wallpaper starring michael jackson and marilyn monroe. >> columbus stayed exactly where
10:59 am
he was and this all took shape around him. >> reporter: only columbus has seen these views before of major new york avenues. >> i like to think of it as christopher columbus finally getting a piece of the american dream. his own home, front row, dress circle in new york city. >> reporter: japanese artist tatsu niche brought columbus out of the cold. >> i am so happy to have my work in new york city. >> reporter: some hem apeople at happy. >> if they wanted to exalt the admiral of the open sea, they wouldn't have encased him in this boxy frame that is buffoonery masquerading as art. >> reporter: i walked up new steps to discuss what was done to an italian sea captain by a japanese artist in manhattan. >> ours is a language which is supposed to unify people and different cultures. >> reporter: i o